It must cross every beer aficionado's mind at some point. Halfway into a pint of microbrewed ale, you savor and ruminate on the balance of malt and hops. “This is good,” you think. “But could I do it better?”

A short guide to the long history of American homebrew

By Brian Haney

America has a long history with home brewing beer. The pilgrims did it in Plymouth because it was considered safer than the questionable water of their adopted home. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson made beer at Mount Vernon and Monticello respectively.